


A Simple Tea Server

by anonymousstoryperson



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Ba Sing Se, Blue Spirit Zuko (Avatar), Brainwashing, Episode: s02e17 Lake Laogai, Gen, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Protective Iroh (Avatar), Tea Server Zuko (Avatar), There Is No War In Ba Sing Se, Zuko (Avatar)-centric
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-21
Updated: 2020-10-30
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:49:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 6,660
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26031433
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anonymousstoryperson/pseuds/anonymousstoryperson
Summary: Zuko is caught by the Dai Li..The boy who returns to the apartment is not Zuko.
Relationships: Iroh & Zuko (Avatar), The Gaang & Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 32
Kudos: 223





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> My first fic in Avatar!! Never too late, I guess.
> 
> Have I planned this fic out? No!
> 
> Do I know exactly where it's going or how far into the canon story I'll take it? You bet I don't!
> 
> But I like where it's going so far and the concept is fun to work with so here we go!

Zuko didn't return in the morning.

He thought he was being sneaky, and he was, quite. He barely made a noise leaving the room. But Iroh knew he was going out at night, slipping through their window late and returning just a few hours before sunrise. He never spoke up, though. He knew Zuko was struggling to adapt to their new situation. Even when they'd been travelling through the Earth Kingdom, there had been a goal, an aim. Now they were just serving tea, in a city that banned all talk of the war, with only the aim of making a living. Perhaps patrolling was Zuko's way of adjusting, and even as he disapproved, Iroh didn't want to keep his nephew from something that could bring him even a sliver of peace. So when he snuck out every few nights, dao and mask in hand, he feigned sleep and sent out a silent prayer for Agni to keep him safe.

Perhaps Agni had turned a blind eye to this, because one morning arrived and Zuko had yet to get back. Even when Iroh couldn't wait any longer and left to open the tea shop, Zuko didn't appear.

Pao didn't ask where Zuko was, though he did say that "Li" wouldnt be paid for shifts he wasn't working. 

Customers came and went, tea was poured and served, and eventually Iroh was walking home, and still no sign of his nephew. No-one who knew of him from the tea shop had seen him. It wouldn't be like him to make him worry like this. Even if he had fallen asleep somewhere, he would have come to the tea shop first thing. He wouldn't explain where he had been, and would likely be defensive for the rest of the day, but he would most certainly return. 

But he hadn't.

Which means something had prevented that.

There was a light under the door when Iroh reached their apartment. Someone was home. He prayed it was just Zuko, but surely he would have come to the tea shop, or even meet him on the journey home, rather than return to their apartment and let him worry further?

But when he stepped inside, it was Zuko. He was out of his Blue Spirit outfit, in new Earth Kingdom green, sitting by the lantern.

With two Dai Li standing nearby. 

"You must be Mushi." One of them started, the two of them turning to face him. 

He put on a smile. "Yes, I am. Thank you for bringing my nephew home, I've been worried sick."

And he still was. Zuko hadn't moved since Iroh had entered the room. He hadn't even raised his eyes from where they were staring at nothing. He looked to be in a trance.

"Yes, it's a terrible thing when children get lost. Not to worry, young Li is a gifted boy. I'm sure you'll both be staying out of trouble, won't you?"

He wasn't speaking to Zuko.

"I'm afraid I don't quite understand."

"Then we will use simpler terms," the second agent said, "General."

Iroh froze. Zuko would never give up that information. What had they done to him?

"There's nothing to fear, I assure you. All respectful citizens of Ba Sing Se are protected within its walls by the Dai Li, the cultural authorities of the city. It is only those who disrupt the peace that we deal with. After all, what do we say, Li?"

"There is no war in Ba Sing Se."

Agni, that was not his nephew. He spoke without inflection, without person. Just another's words delivered through Zuko's face.

"What did you do to my nephew?" The Dragon of the West growled. It was easier than sounding as scared as he felt. 

The agents ignored him. "You have a skilled boy here. We'll be sure to call on him if we ever require his assistance."

Blood froze in Iroh's veins at the words, but they continued to ignore him, instead looking to Zuko himself.

"Get some sleep, Li. You need to help your uncle in Pao's tea shop tomorrow."

Zuko nodded, moving to the back bedroom and closing the door behind him, not even a flicker of life in his features as he moved.

Iroh stared after him. He was utterly under thrall, at their will completely. Their commands had been simple enough, but Iroh was not blind to the implications of such power. 

"We'll leave you to your rest, Mushi." The first agent said, as perfectly cordial as someone who hadn't broken the only family Iroh had left, "I understand your tea has something of a reputation. Your efforts could move your family to the Middle or even Upper Rings before long without trouble."

His own tea shop and a comfortable life. As if that dream meant anything to him without Zuko.

"Good night, Mushi. We'll be around."

They left with that warning, leaving the room in a stifling silence. For a minute or two, the only movement in the building was the flame by the window, the only sound the breeze beside it.

When Iroh doused the flame and moved to the next room, his footsteps drowned out the breeze and the light breaths of a sleeping Zuko.

Iroh dropped beside him, gently checking him over. He found some slight bruising along the wrists, similar formations to the stone handcuffs he had seen on that boy who had attacked them a few days ago. So they had restrained him, and done something to make physical restraints unnecessary.

It was that, and the weight of failing to protect him, that replaced the new silence with sobs.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Li is awake.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These chapters aren't coming out quite as long as I'd like. Hopefully that'll change as the story progresses.

Iroh must have eventually drifted off, because he woke to fabric rustling and feet shuffling around the small apartment. As soon as the memories of last night returned, he sprang into a sitting position to see Zuko pulling a shirt over his head, the early sunrise casting long shadows into the room. He was awake.

"Zuko?"

"What was that, uncle?" He replied, turning to face him. His voice was back to normal, his eyes no longer unseeing. He sounded like himself. Iroh could have cried with relief.

"Are you alright, Prince Zuko? Did those agents hurt you at all last night?"

Zuko frowned, a furrow forming between his brows. "Prince?" He repeated, "Agents? Uncle, what are you talking about?"

The former prince almost looked as concerned and confused as his uncle felt, going so far as to crouch by him and put a hand to his head.

"You must have had a bad dream again. You should come back to yourself in a minute. Just breathe."

It stunned Iroh into silence. How could he not remember? His royal status had defined him until he was thirteen, the task of returning to it consuming him since. What was this?

"Zuko..."

"No, uncle, it's me, Li. Do you remember? Your nephew."

Iroh took the boy's hands in his own, searching for the boy he knew. "Listen to me, nephew. Whatever they did to you, whatever they told you, it is a lie. You are Prince Zuko, son of Ozai and Ursa, brother to Azula and heir to the Fire Nation throne. Lee is an alias. Please, nephew. Remember."

"Mushi, enough." He was pleading even as his face closed off. "Whatever this is, I've heard enough. You're not making sense. You know what the Fire Nation has done to us. I'm not..."

He stood up abruptly. "I need some air. I'll be at Pao's in time, I just..."

Zuko trailed off, turning abruptly away and disappearing through the door before Iroh could even stand. The sound of their front door opening and shutting beat him to the motion. 

So, the Dai Li's interference had taken more than just his autonomy. They had messed with his mind in a way Iroh had never seen before. They had given his alias and cover story new life to smother his true identity and keep him compliant by taking away every reason he had to be otherwise. 

Being faced with the truth caused him distress and panic. If he was going to get his nephew away from this city, he would have to go about it carefully. How to prepare to leave without alerting Zuko, how to go about reversing what had happened.

This would take careful planning, and would have to begin with figuring out what had happened to his nephew.

So despite the world crumbling around his ears, despite his heart beating against a grip of stone, his morning began as its new usual.

Zuko was already at Pao's when he finally arrived, like he had promised. His smile was calm as he swept the shop floor, as if that morning had never happened. Maybe, for him, it hadn't. Maybe his new identity strengthened again when it wasn't being contradicted.

"Mushi, where have you been? We're opening soon!"

Pao ushered him to the back the moment he was spotted, and put to work starting the brewing process. Pao didn't dare touch the teapots ever since the new recipe had improved the shop's reputation, and Zuko had preferred to be as little involved as possible. Whether that had been reluctance due to stubbornness or lack of tea-based skill was debatable.

Speaking of, Zuko appeared in the back a few minutes before opening, putting away the broom and stepping over.

"Uncle, are you feeling better?"

Hearing about his real life had distressed him so much this morning, and despite the concern splashed across his face, he seemed content, calm in a way he hadn't since before Iroh had first left to siege this very city. There was no undercurrent of stress or agitation in his voice, no tension in his frame. If he didn't know any better, Iroh could almost pretend they were back at Caldera City three years ago.

"I am fine. Thank you, Li."

A smile was his response. Open, genuine, and nothing like the smile he remembered. When Zuko smiled, there was always a wilful determination in it, a promise that whatever had caused his joy would only continue. Before his banishment, his smiles had been more reserved even when still genuine, because royalty must maintain decorum at all times.

Li's smiles had no such determination, no such restraint. He smiled as if there was nothing to focus on but what was happening in the moment, and it stretched across his face in a way Iroh wasn't used to.

"That's great, uncle. Now let's serve these people some tea."


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A moment of hope.

If the crushing guilt of thinking Zuko might be lost to him forever, paired with the Dai Li's threats were not present, Iroh would have been living his life's dream. Making tea for a living, being known for his delicious blends rather than his deadly skill on the battlefield, his nephew happy beside him. Sure, he had to hide his fire-bending from everyone, as well as their real identities, but he could have lived with that. Could have contented himself to a life of peace.

But every time Zuko laughed politely with a customer, or brushed off a compliment shyly, or responded to his alias as if he had lived it his whole life, any joy leeched away and left the shop a little less warm.

His nephew could be difficult at times, harsh even. Three years of convincing himself that the Avatar had to be alive, that Ozai would not just send him on an impossible quest to remove him from the Fire Nation, only to find nothing but myth and legend, had instilled an anger in him that acted as a thin veneer against the cold truth. But that was Zuko. A boy who had gone through far too much, far too soon, protecting himself and throwing himself into danger simultaneously, showing his care in his own ways even as he struggled with receiving it. A boy who despite the losses and horrors, was so prideful and confident in his ability to survive whatever the universe had left to throw at him. 

To take that away and leave a stranger in his place...

Two days passed in this manner. Iroh, trapped in the life he had once dreamed of, searching for a sign that his nephew was still with him somewhere. One evening, he saw it.

The shop had been slow that day, but that was a given. Though the improved recipe had drawn in more people from different parts of the city, they were still in the Lower Ring, where the richest refused to be seen and their closest customers often had to prioritise food and shelter over a nice cup of tea. With nothing else to do for most of the day, Iroh had started brainstorming ways to find out what had happened to Zuko, and how to possibly reverse it. However, as the afternoon ended and the last patrons had paid and gone, Iroh had to admit he was at a bit of a loss. He could not figure out how to deal with tampering of the mind in a way that was safe.

Zuko joined him in the back after sending off the final customer and taking their meagre wages from Pao, who had counted up the money before the door had even closed before leaving. Iroh heated the water with a quick hand movement before he stepped up beside him, wearing a smile that should have warmed him, but only increased his guilt.

But he couldn't voice this, so he passed his nephew a washrag and stepped away to let him clean the pots and cups while the general put them in their places for the next day.

They were halfway through their wares when Zuko paused, the washrag still inside one of the teapots, a frown on his face as he stared at nothing.

Iroh noticed the slosh of the dishwater settling to nothing and leaned over to get a better look at his nephew's face. "Li?"

Zuko looked in his direction, and for a moment Iroh feared the blankness had returned to his eyes, but his brows were furrowed in confusion. 

"I wasn't at home the other night." he stated, almost a question, and Iroh's heart leapt.

"I was in the Middle Ring... there was a girl crying about the war..."

He was remembering something, something from the night he disappeared. 

In an instant, Iroh's hands were empty, and just as quickly they had taken up Zuko's, leading him to the nearest chair and sitting him down in front of him.

"What else do you remember, Zuko? Focus on that night."

"Zuko?" he asked, but there seemed to be recognition there. "That name... it sounds..."

"Whatever they did must be wearing thin," Iroh said, mind racing even as he focused on the boy in front of him, "Try to focus on that night, nephew. What happened when you found the girl?"

He blinked a few times, as if trying to wake, looking past his uncle at something no longer there. "She was talking about friends she had lost to the Fire Nation. These Dai Li appeared. I-"

His hands clenched, as if missing the weight of his twin dao, and Iroh almost laughed. His nephew's heart had always seemed to get him into trouble.

"What did they do to me?" he asked, finally meeting his uncle's eyes, the realisation giving life to his eyes for the first time in days. Iroh would weep in relief if that life didn't come from fear. Spirits, Zuko sounded so lost. 

"I cannot say, nephew. But whatever they did, we can undo. We just have to get beyond these walls."

"Uncle?"

"We have perhaps an hour before the Lower Ring curfew," Iroh explained. "If we are quick, no-one should question us before we reach the train. But we must leave. I will not let them take you again."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How well do you think this plan's gonna go?


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Escaping the city does not go to plan.

The pair left quickly, taking only their wages with them and staying close to each other as they hurried through the empty streets. It seemed nobody was willing to be caught out late for anything, and those who still had not made it inside were determined to do so as quickly as possible. Concerning, of course, but at least for the two of them it meant that they were likely to be taken as mere citizens trying to get home on time. If they were lucky, it would be enough. 

If only they had a home to run to. But right now Iroh had to be more like his nephew, and worry about one thing at a time. They could fret over shelter and food when Ba Sing Se was behind them.

Dusk had taken its time to fall, the dark days of winter long behind them, but now only the sparse lamplights and bright windows guided their path through the winding streets, darkened by ever-lengthening shadows. Once or twice they had to backtrack or slip into alleyways to avoid a patrolling agent, but other than that their journey was silent.

Until it wasn't.

The Dai Li must have been watching them, because two of them stepped out of the alleyways ahead with barely a sound, facing the pair with grim expressions. They were here for them specifically.

A quick forward tug on Zuko's sleeve got him moving, and it seems enough of him had returned to understand, because the boy was running towards the agents immediately, only to dodge and run across the walls beside them, just as Iroh used the distraction to send one stream of fire through the centre. A harsh slice of his arms split the stream at the last second, throwing the agents to either side. He ran through the opening, catching up to Zuko and running alongside him. The time for subtlety was over. They were being pursued.

Now that the first two agents were down, Iroh could hear tell-tale signs of footsteps on roof tiles, the rustling of fabric too far away to be their own. He heard no voices- Dai Li training was no doubt too rigorous to require verbal communication, but for them it meant they had only split-second warnings to dodge projectiles heading their way, often hands formed of rock meant to trap them in place. Luckily, whips and spheres of fire kept them at bay, as well as any pursuing agent who got too close.

Zuko seemed to come back into himself more with every passing minute, joining his uncle in using fire to deflect the stone projectiles and sometimes whip at their rooftop pursuers. Iroh would have to check with him if they made it past the walls, but he seemed to be curing himself all on his own. He may not be lost to him.

They were perhaps five minutes from the station when agents dropped down from the skies to surround them.

There were a greater number of them now, on the roofs as well as the streets. Not impossible to manage, but they didn't advance. Even as Zuko and Iroh settled into fighting stances, none of them did the same. They seemed to be waiting for something.

A fifth man appeared from behind two of them, without a summer hat and wearing more ornate robes than the rest of them. Not necessarily a fighter then, though clearly higher in rank than the rest of the agents, who stepped aside silently to let him pass. His hands were still in his sleeves as he spoke.

"Li, the Earth King has invited you to Lake Laogai."

Iroh frowned at the message. It seemed to come out of nowhere, but clearly it had some significance. And it did.

He felt more than saw Zuko drop out of his fighting stance, and turned in his horror to see the blankness back in his eyes, thick enough that he felt an urge to check for a pulse. Even in this dim light, his pupils were far too wide to be natural.

"I am honoured to accept his invitation."

Iroh had never fought his nephew before. He had supervised his fire-bending sessions many times, particularly on the Wani, but had never had cause to actually confront him in combat. His non-bending was even less familiar to him. Before the fight at the tea shop a few days ago, he hadn't witnessed Zuko's fighting skill beyond a few meetings with Piandao. Perhaps this was why it took him by surprise. Before his knew what had happened, before he could understand and hesitate, Zuko had wrenched his arm behind his back and taken his leg out from beneath him, forcing him to one knee.

The man who had spoken stepped forward then, humming thoughtfully as he took in the scene. He scrutinised Zuko's face to no reaction. "Hm. Firebenders must be more resistant to our methods than others. Makes sense, I suppose. You wouldn't bury an earthbender to keep him down." He looked to one of the nearby agents. "Take him for another session. If the effects don't last any longer we'll just have to hope he's worth the effort."

Iroh saw red, and though it had been some time since he had fuelled his fire with rage, it seemed that muscle memory was a powerful thing. His breath of fire caught the man's intricate robes at the sleeves, almost catching his facial hair. "You will not lay another hand on my nephew."

The man had jumped back from the flames, putting them out with stiff movements. When his clothes were merely smouldering, he met Iroh's eyes with a glare.

"I don't need to."

At some unspoken command, Zuko released him and backed away two steps before lifting a hand and calling a flame.

It flickered inches away from his scar.

"Return to your home, Mushi, before you lose another child trying to fight us."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OKAY SO  
> Basically this fic not only comes from the idea of "what if Zuko was brainwashed by the Dai Li" but also the idea that, since the brainwashing uses a flame, it might affect fire-benders less. Because, you know, it's their element and what have ya. 
> 
> Not that that helps him out a whole lot, since he's gonna get mind-whammied again, but it's a hc I personally found really interesting.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aftermath

Once again, Zuko didn't return in the morning.

This time, Iroh didn't have to wake up to discover this. Falling asleep was impossible when the image of Zuko's own fire threatening him was so fresh in his mind, alongside those cold eyes following his nephew down into the earth, leaving him on the dark streets, alone.

And of course, the harsh reminder of the last child he had failed here.

Grief and worry and rage had wrecked his body and mind all night, leaving him restless and weary long after sunrise. He had no way of knowing when Zuko would return- because he would return, he had to- and no way of knowing what was happening to him in the mean time. There was no leverage he could use, no allies he could turn to. He was, despite his strength and influence, quite powerless.

It was quite ingenious of them, really. To manoeuvre him into a position where any action risked him everything. He'd be sure to let the Grand Secretariat know such before he blackened the man's skeleton.

Just like last time, morning arrived without Zuko and without any certainties as to what was keeping him from returning. Pao's tea shop was empty except for Pao himself, who didn't even comment on Zuko's absence this time. Customers asked after him, and seemed to be satisfied with the excuse of illness. Though admittedly flimsy, it would hold for however long he needed it to, and no-one should question his absence as a result.

Returning to an empty home filled him with dread that had nowhere to go, except silent prayers to Agni. To attack was to condemn Zuko's life. To leave would be to abandon him when he needed an ally most in his life. To attempt anything at all put Zuko in a risk Iroh couldn't bear to hazard.

Not that inaction was any easier. By the second day alone, the general couldn't even muster the will to converse with the customers, his worry seeping into his hands and making the spout of the pot rattle against the cups. Some frowned, some checked in, but most kept to themselves. They seemed to realise he was not up to talking today.

Iroh had never felt so much like the helpless old man he tended to portray to the world.

The next night was no better. Every creak, every breeze, every noise in the dark had him sitting up in bed, waiting for the boy to walk in through the door. Entranced or as Li- anything would be better than the silence and the wondering, each new imagined scenario worse than the last.

What if they couldn't brainwash Zuko a second time, and he was instead suffering and restrained, wondering why no-one had come for him yet?

What if they kept him in that blank state, working him down to nothing for this spirits-damned city, each day bringing him closer to a day where he would simply cease to rise again?

What if he had already lost him? What if he was waiting for someone who was never to return again, kept from his closure by pointless what ifs?

Agni rose again to light an empty room. Iroh got ready and set out to Pao's.

~~~

"Li still ill, is he?"

This was the fourth comment on his nephew's continued absence this morning alone, and every one of them hurt as much as the last. Had he been Zuko, the reminders and persistent questions would have likely spurred him into quite a rage by now, but sometimes there was benefit in hiding worry under anger. Just not this moment.

Iroh gave a pained smile in response to the patron, but the door rushed open before he could give anything else.

There stood Zuko in the doorway, looking like he had ran the length of the city to arrive, eyes panicked as they sought him out.

"Li" had never been anything short of serene.

Iroh's heart stopped.

"Am I late?" Li asked, glancing around briefly before looking at him again. "I came as fast as I could."

"...Only a little." Iroh replied after a moment, disappointment in his voice difficult to cover.

"Sorry, uncle. I got sidetracked. It won't happen again."

He moved to the back of the shop where his apron hung, waiting for him. He slipped it over his head with one hand and turned back to Iroh.

"Uncle, could you tie it for me, please?"

Iroh frowned at the request, until he looked closer. Zuko's left arm was tucked into his side, unmoved as the apron was adjusted and smoothed down. He seemed determined not to move it.

When he saw him looking, Zuko explained. "I fell on it weirdly this morning. I can still work, I promise. It just hurts."

Iroh knew for a fact that Zuko hadn't fallen out of clumsiness in almost two years, when he had finally adapted to the new lack of depth perception that came with losing sight in one eye. It had been a steep learning curve, but Zuko had refused to show such "weakness" in front of the crew, and had strived towards that goal with almost as much determination as he did in searching for the Avatar. Though it was entirely possible for him to slip up now, Iroh had to doubt it. The alternative, however...

"Just be careful, nephew. The customers have missed you enough as it is."

Zuko nodded and set off the moment the apron was tied, taking an empty tray to the nearest table, whose occupants waved him over cheerfully. As Iroh watched, Zuko set down the tray, piled it with the empty cups and slid it off the table, one side held in his hand, one slotted safely just above his hip, before walking away. All to avoid moving his left arm. He barely seemed to notice his adaption.

Iroh knew Zuko. He didn't like making his hurt clear. He tended to work through it, ignore it if he could, fight through if he couldn't. He would never make an injury so obvious, even around those he felt safe with.

Even if this Li was nothing like the Zuko he knew, an arm that only hurt a little would not be kept so firmly out of commission, especially not unconsciously. Something was seriously wrong.

He didn't have a chance to see the extent of the injury until the two of them were back in the apartment. He had spent the whole journey back split between watching his nephew for any signs of pain and watching the streets for any Dai Li coming to take him away again. He did not know why they had released him today, or when they would take him again, and the uncertainty left him unable to focus on one or the other.

Only as the door closed behind him was he able to breathe a sigh of relief and turn to Zuko. "May I see your arm, nephew?

"Zuko frowned. "Why?"

"An uncle can worry about his dear nephew, can't he? Let me see if I can help at all."

Zuko didn't seem convinced, but shrugged with one shoulder and sat down before freeing his left arm from its sleeve.

Iroh's stomach plummeted at the sight.

The whole arm was ruined. Mottled and bruised, littered with yellows and greens and blues, and reds both below the skin and splashed from small cuts. It looked like it had been battered beyond recognition. There was still debris dust on the skin. Not damaged enough to be permanent but certainly a warning. The mess ended abruptly five inches above the wrist, where a line rubbed raw into the line marked the border between the inconspicuous skin and the damage. The Dai Li had clearly taken care to ensure no unknowing citizen could have noticed anything out of the ordinary should Zuko have served them today.

"Oh, nephew." he sobbed, "I'm sorry. I should be protecting you, and yet..."

"Don't worry, uncle."

Iroh met his eyes. His dead, vacant eyes above a slightly too-wide smile.

"The Dai Li protect the good citizens of Ba Sing Se."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really try to get the chapters longer, it's just not working out. Oh well.


	6. Gaang Interlude

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now of course I didn't forget who else is in the city right now

Further into the city, where the houses grew and grew apart, where raucous masses were replaced by polished serenity, and the rich and wealthy had been abundant, welcoming, and stubbornly silent about questions pertaining to the war, or Appa, or _anything important_ , Aang was ready to make a move.

Waiting for an audience with the Earth King was taking forever, the four-to-six-week waiting period dragging on infinitely, but at least they were finally, _finally_ making some progress towards finding Appa. They had a plan, they had his location narrowed down to the city itself, and they had means of finding him.

Well, they had the means of finding someone who knew where to find him. The professionally-made flyers captured his image perfectly- there was no way anyone who had seen him could mistake it. All they had to do was get these flyers out there, and someone who could help would come forward and take them to Appa.

Aang hovered high above the city. His staff spun in a blur above him, his clothes fluttering in the gusts. The house below him was tiny, and yet the edges of the city were still beyond his vision. The Lower Ring was barely visible yet. He hoped he had enough flyers to last.

With one free hand, he took one of the flyers out of the bulging messenger bag strapped across his torso and looked at it. Appa's big eyes stared up at him from the paper. Aang's own eyes welled up for a moment, but he shook himself and took a breath. He was fine. Or at least, he would be.

Appa was somewhere in this city. Someone had to know where he was.

This would work. It had to.

Momo circled him in a lazy circle, pulling him from his worries. He gave the lemur a smile and set off, soaring away from the residential district. The bag opened further under the sudden gale and the flyers began to slip out in a steady stream over the buildings.

Below him, in the house he'd just left, Katara, Sokka and Toph sat together in the communal space. They weren't smiling.

"So what exactly are you planning to tell Twinkle Toes when no-one shows up today?" Toph asked, breaking the silence.

"There's always a chance." Katara tried, but Sokka shook his head.

"Not a big one. Even if Aang drops those flyers in every ring, this city's too big for everyone to see them. Even if the whole city gets a look at the flyers, it's still gonna take time before the right person sees it."

"If there even is anyone who knows where Appa is." Toph muttered.

"We can't think like that.

We're looking for a ten-ton bison that flies! Don't you think that that sort of thing would be a bit more talked about if Appa appeared? He's an extinct species! We shouldn't be able to hear ourselves for all the suck-ups claiming they brushed his fur or saw him eating their fruit trees."

"Face it guys," she continued, slumping after her outburst, "Even if Appa's here, no-one's gonna tell us where because no-one _is_ talking about it. Aang's gonna start getting antsy again and it's gonna end up looking like the desert all over again."

There was a silence that Sokka finally broke. "You have a point there, but Appa has to be in this city. We know he's here. Someone has to know about him, and right now that's our only chance."

"And we can always distract Aang until that happens." Katara pointed out, "As long as someone's always in the house to wait for news on Appa, the rest of us can take Aang's mind of it."

"Great." Toph let herself fall back with a thud and stared blankly at the ceiling. "We'll all be playing baby-sitter and wait for the spirits to drop a flyer right into the hands of someone who has actually seen Appa in this stupid city. Should we take bets on how many wrinkles Snoozles will have by then?"

"Hey!"

Outside, the wind picked up, despite Aang having already cut through the middle of the city. The flyers that had already scattered were picked up once more, some catching the attention of passers-by, some escaping the grasping hands of Dai Li who had made to collect them, some spreading further than before. As the buildings became more crowded, the gusts became stronger, rushing through alleyways, testing the weaker stalls, and carrying the flyers still, until one landed on a carton of street food that had just been wrapped. The stall owner blinked down at the paper, wondering where it came from. But the answer ultimately meant very little, and she had a customer waiting, so she shrugged and picked up the food with the flyer, turning around and handing it out with a smile. 

"Here you go, Li! Make sure to tell me if your uncle likes the flavour."

Li smiled. "I'm sure he'll love it."


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Back to Iroh and Zuko

Iroh finished his shift that day with an odd taste in his mouth. A business man from the Upper Ring had heard about his tea and come to sample it himself. The visit had ended with an offer for his own tea shop in the Upper Ring, to do with as he wished, with of course, improved wages and time off. Everything he had ever dreamed of.

As if that meant anything if Zuko was still lost to him.

Speaking of, his nephew had gone out to spend their last wages from Pao on a celebratory dinner, as they would be able to splash out a bit more now. That left Iroh with planning, packing and coming up with names suitable for a reputable tea shop.

The packing was the easiest and quickest task. They had arrived with very little, and hadn't acquired much more than essentials. Even when Zuko was still Zuko, neither had yet felt quite comfortable enough to truly settle by making a home. That, clearly, hadn't been utter paranoia, and as a result, he only had a few sets of clothes and his tea set to pack away.

He wondered, not for the first time, what had happened to Zuko's spirit mask and dual dao, which had been missing since the Dai Li first caught him.

Planning, he couldn't do much of. At least, no more than he had been able to do before now. Perhaps the new tea shop could hold a hiding place of sorts where Zuko could evade the Dai Li until he broke through again. If they couldn't take him away, they couldn't brainwash him and keep him under. If he could evade them for three, maybe four days, he may come back to himself. But after so long an absence, their agents would surely search the shop for him, and after what he had learned a few days ago, he wasn't eager to take the risk.

At least the names were making better progress.

He heard the door open and watched Zuko enter, arms full with his purchases and nudging the door shut behind him.

"Nephew, what do you think of 'The Jasmine Dragon'? It's majestic, poetic, has a nice ring to it..."

"That sounds great, uncle." Zuko replied, and it took everything not to grit his teeth at the passivity in the voice. Zuko had such life to him, drive and passion in everything he did. Three years had not been enough to drain him of his anger or wilful nature. Li was empty, with just enough life to interact with the world around him, a vessel waiting for instruction. Every time he spoke he was reminded that this was not his nephew, and it hurt just a little more each time.

Zuko had put his wares on the table, and Iroh moved to assist when something caught his eye.

Between the foodstuffs that Zuko was sorting between, a piece of paper lay innocuously on the table.

The Avatar's bison stared up at him from it.

He had the paper in his hand before his mind could catch up, taking in every brushstroke while his mind whirled. The Avatar and his companions were in Ba Sing Se, looking for their sky bison. Even in such a large city, news of such a sight would have spread incredibly quickly. Which means it was smuggled in and hidden. The Dai Li had to be involved. They were the only possible culprits. Whether it was leverage or something more malicious, Iroh couldn't be sure. But if he was correct that the Dai Li had the bison, then he could assume that they did not want the bison to be found.

He stared at the flyer as if Agni himself had dropped it in front of him. The bison's image stared back with much less awe.

Was this how Zuko felt every time sign of the Avatar appeared? This hope that his endless efforts had finally bourn fruit? If so, Iroh could almost understand how his determination had lasted so long.

If anyone could help bring his nephew back to him, it was an Avatar that shared a common enemy.

"Nephew, do you know what this is?"

Zuko looked up, eyes finding the flyer held in front of him, eyes skimming the text. Even before he spoke, Iroh knew it was pointless. The sight of the Avatar's bison should have done _something_ , like when he had brought up his parents. But there was nothing.

"It's a missing poster for the Avatar's bison." he finally answered, like he had read nothing more interesting than the date today. "Putting up posters without authorisation is strictly prohibited within the city. He'll get in trouble for that."

Iroh nodded absently, taking back the flyer and tucking it away in his robes. His planning had just taken a new turn.

All he had to do was convince the Avatar and his friends to help.


End file.
